1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sliding insert type connector with an assisting slider, and particularly, it relates to a sliding insert type connector including a couple of male and female connector housings, and an assisting slider for assisting the male connector housing to be inserted in the female connector housing in a sliding manner.
2. Description of Relevant Art
A typical multi-pole sliding connector has a slider formed with an oblique cam groove, and a male connector housing formed with a cam follower engaging with the cam groove. For a coupling between the male connector housing and a female connector housing, the slider is operated to be slid for advancement to intervene therebetween, making the cam follower move along the cam groove, causing the male connector housing to fit in the female connector housing in a sliding manner. For a de-coupling, the slider is operated to be slid for a retreat to cause reverse actions. Operations to the slider do not need undue forces, as the cam groove engages with the cam follower.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary conventional connector of a sliding insert type that has been disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-52929.
In FIG. 1, designated by reference character 1 is the sliding insert type connector, which comprises a front connector housing 5 of a male type, a rear connector housing 2 of a female type, and a U-shaped slider 3 called "slide member".
The female connector housing 2 is comprised of a rear portion formed with arrays of terminal accommodation chambers 2a, and a hood portion 2b as a front portion shaped in a rectangular tubular form.
The male connector housing 5 is comprised of a front portion formed with arrays of terminal accommodation chambers 5a, and an insert portion 5b as a rear portion shaped in a rectangular tubular form to be inserted in the hood portion 2b of the female connector housing 2.
The slide member 3 is comprised of a vertical operation part 3a, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal actuation parts 3b reciprocally slidable along respective insides of vertically opposing walls of the hood portion 2b of the female connector housing 2. The actuation parts 3b of the slide member 3 each have a pair of left and right angled guide grooves 4 engageable with a pair of left and central projections 6 formed outside a corresponding wall of the insert portion 5b.
The hood portion 5b of the female connector housing 2 has left upper and left lower corner wall parts thereof formed with upper and lower openings 2c for insertion of leading ends of the upper and lower actuation parts 3b of the slide member 3, respectively. The vertically opposing walls of the hood portion 2a each have a plurality of spaced pads 2d integrally formed on a front region of the inside thereof, for guiding a corresponding one of the upper and lower actuation parts 3b.
Each actuation part 3b of the slide member 3 has a reduced thickness along a front edge thereof so that an inside of the actuation part 3b has a stepped front region 3c, which is interrupted with central and right recesses 3d extending thereacross for introducing the left and central projections 6 of the insert portion 5b into the left and right group grooves 4 of the actuation part 3b.
FIG. 2 shows how to insert the insert portion 5b of the male connector housing 5 into the hood portion 2b of the female connector housing 2.
As the slide member 3 is operated to advance, the insert portion 5b of the male connector housing 5 is pulled inside the hood portion 2b of the female connector housing 2, coupling therewith. Upon a retreat operation, the slide member 3 disconnects the coupled housings 2, 5 from each other. Such actions of the sliding insert type connector are described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 4-319271.
In the conventional sliding insert type connector 1, when the slide member 3 advances or retreats, the upper and lower actuation parts 3b of the member 3 are held in contact with the insides of the vertically opposing walls of the hood portion 2b, over relatively large areas on outsides of the actuation parts 3b, with relatively large frictional forces acting between the hood portion 2b and the actuation parts 3b, needing undue forces for operation of the slide member 3.